NORTH YORK UMPIRES

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HOUSE LEAGUE UMPIRES:

• Minimum Level Requirement per NYBA Policy: Level 1.1

House League games are held Monday-Wednesday evenings at Bond Park. Umpire assignments are managed by the series convenor under the guidance of the Umpire-In-Chief Tracey Lawson.

Level 1.1 umpires who sign up using the Summer 2025 Sign-Up Link above will automatically be placed on the email distribution list for house league games.

If you are a higher-level umpire and interested in umpiring house league, please contact Tracey Lawson.

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ELITE, REP & SELECT UMPIRES:

• Minimum Level Requirement per NYBA Policy: Level 1.2
• Minimum Age Requirement per NYBA Policy: 2 years older than the division they are umpiring

Anyone wanting to umpire at the elite, rep & select levels must be 12 years old and complete both the online and on-site training clinics with NYBA under the umbrella of the Ontario Baseball Association.

Level 1.2 umpires and above who sign up using the link above will be placed onto the email distribution list for opportunities to umpire elite, rep, and select games.

Elite, Rep & Select games are held weekday evenings, starting at 8:30PM Monday to Wednesday (after House League) and 6PM Thursday and Fridays. Weekends games can run 9AM to 8PM. Most games are approximately 2 hours in length, except for the higher aged players (14+) which are 2.5 hours.

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EQUIPMENT:

Both plate and base umpires are expected to have proper attire for each game:

• A navy/black/light blue collared shirt,
• grey slacks (NO SWEATPANTS),
• black or dark shoes socks,
• navy or black umpire hat (with no logos) and a belt.

Each umpire is also required to carry an indicator to keep track of balls/strikes/outs/innings.

Plate umpires are required to wear a chest protector, catcher’s face mask, and shin guards. Umpires are encouraged to purchase their own gear, however, NYBA has umpire equipment it can loan for games. Please reach out to Tracey Lawson a few days before your game if you need to borrow equipment.

Note that shin pads and chest protector must be worn inside their clothes. Umpires who do otherwise will be asked to correct their equipment during the game. Plate umpires are also required to own a brush to sweep the base.

If you would like to purchase discounted umpire equipment, please visit Home Run Sports in Mississauga or Eagle Beaver Sports in Scarborough where both NYBA players and umpires receive a discount.

If you are a retired umpire and are interested in donating your equipment to NYBA, please contact Tracey Lawson.

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SCHEDULING:

Only umpires who sign up using the Summer 2025 Sign-up Link at the top of this page will be contacted in regard to scheduling assignments.

Umpires are asked for their availability 2-3 weeks prior to the beginning of the month using a Google Form with a list of games for the following month (For example: The sign-up sheet for June games will be released early May).

Roughly a week after the deadline to submit your availability, umpires will receive game/position assignments through a confirmation email.

There are instances where games are added to the schedule last minute; in these situations, the umpire schedule will reach out via email/text to umpires that have expressed interest in last minute game assignments. Umpires interested in any of these newly scheduled games are welcome to reach out to the umpire co-ordinator.

It is the umpire’s responsibility to mark down their game assignments. While coaches are asked to call/text/email in advance as a reminder, umpires should NOT depend on it.

A complete schedule of games; umpires and coaching information is recorded in a Google Excel Worksheet and accessible in an email from the umpire coordinator or from the North York website home page.

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ASSIGNING OF GAMES:

Game assignments are made at the discretion of the Umpire Coordinator (Benjamin Mack) and the Umpire-In-Chief (Tracey Lawson).

Every effort is made to ensure a fair distribution of games. Professional attitude both on and off the diamond along with skill is factored into game assignment.

When assigning umpires to games, NYBA has the following policy:
Umpires must be 2 years older than the series they are umping; have successfully completed the OBA umpire requirements and qualify for the series according to their OBA level – see below for details.

The NYBA Umpire-in-Chief ultimately makes the decision as to which umpires are booked and umpire pairings. 

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GAME DAY:

NEW FOR 2025: The NYBA Umpire Coordinator will have already assigned umpires plate or base. 

Partners are required to reach out to each other prior to the game to co-ordinate shirt colours. Contact information of your partner can be found on the public schedule that can be accessed from the NYBA.ca home page. 

Umpires are expected to arrive to the park 15 minutes before each game and on the field for the plate meeting 5 minutes before each game. Lateness will not be tolerated and will result in fewer game assignments in the future.

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UMPIRE FEES: 

NYBA umpire fees are based on the age group, not the level. All games within the same age group, whether A, AA, or AAA are paid the same rate. Coaches may pay either by e-transfer or in a sealed envelope before or after the game.

These are the rates for 2025 listed by team age group. All fees listed are per umpire, per game.

• 7,8 & 9 years – $40 | 9 innings - $55
• 10 & 11 years – $45 | 9 innings $60
• 12 & 13 years - $60 | 9 innings $75
• 14 & 15 years – $75 | 9 innings - $90
• 16 & 18 years - $90 | 9 innings - $100
• 19 years and over - $100 (7 or 9 innings)

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CANCELLATIONS:

Umpire Cancellations: We understand that things happen last minute that are out of your control. We require as much notice as you can give us, whether by email, text, or by personal phone call so a replacement can be found.

Please contact the nybaumpires@gmail.com if you need to cancel an assigned game. If you do not see a reply in 24 hours, you are required to email, text or phone Benjamin Mack. (Co-ordinates below.)

Game cancellations: In the event of a game cancellation due to the coach’s choice or weather, if the coach or umpire coordinator hasn’t informed the umpires at least 1 hour before the game

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FINALLY:

Due to the nature of the position, you are bound to get into altercations during games. Always remain calm, civil and approachable. Coaches have been notified that inappropriate behaviour [personal comments, profanity or inappropriate behaviour] towards umpires will not be tolerated and could be grounds for ejection from the game.

The same holds true for umpires. You are being held to a strict, professional code, and we expect you to act accordingly at all times.

Any incident should be reported directly to Tracey Lawson.

We look forward to working with you this season!

Tracey Lawson
Umpire-in-Chief
traceylawson28@hotmail.com

Ben Mack
Umpire Co-ordinator
nybaumpires@gmail.com
416-554-7494
2025 NYBA Umpire Sign-Up Form

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Umpire Resources:

• Baseball Ontario - 2025 Umpire Certification
• Baseball Ontario - Umpire Resources
• Baseball Ontario - Rules of Baseball